


The Both of Us Were Never Truly Over

by pewwishing



Category: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, The Wicked Powers Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: 3 year skip, Angst, Brief Ty POVs, Eventual Fluff, M/M, My attempt at setting up TWP, Post-Canon, Reunions, Something's going on w/ ghost Livvy, Traditional Herondale Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-15 08:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17525345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pewwishing/pseuds/pewwishing
Summary: "Trust me," Tessa had said to him, "I married and gave birth to the most disastrous boys known to Shadowhunter history. That cousin of yours isn't much better himself."While Kit had laughed and believed every word, he still did his best to convince himself that he was better off otherwise. He was needed elsewhere, wanted elsewhere. There was certainly no room for him back in Los Angeles, that much had been made clear.Kit may have been one of Tessa's Herondales now, but not by direct blood, which he decided meant that he wasn't an idiot like they all were.





	1. Chapter 1

Kit Herondale had hoped that moving overseas and away from the Blackthorns would help diminish whatever feelings he had still held in his heart for them. As it turned out, he was entirely wrong.

Not that it surprised him much.

After all, Tessa Gray had told him several times that staying away was one of the most destructive things to do when it came to loving someone. Not that Kit had admitted to loving anyone out loud in particular. Tessa just sort of knew. Kit had quickly learned that she had spent enough time with a fair amount of Herondales, and that they were notorious for that very thing.

"Trust me," Tessa had said to him, "I married and gave birth to the most disastrous boys known to Shadowhunter history. That cousin of yours isn't much better himself."

While Kit had laughed and believed every word, he still did his best to convince himself that he was better off otherwise. He was needed elsewhere, wanted elsewhere. There was certainly no room for him back in Los Angeles, that much had been made clear.

Kit may have been one of Tessa's Herondales now, but not by direct blood, which he decided meant that he wasn't an idiot like they all were. 

Besides, Kit gained plenty from being away so long. It was good to be away from the chaos that seemed to shadow the Blackthorn siblings' every waking move. With Tessa and Jem in Devon, he was able to live what he figured was as close to ordinary teenaged life as possible.

Then again, Kit was not entirely sure what that meant for a typical Shadowhunter kid, seeing as he was far from typical. Being a typical Shadowhunter probably meant not having inexplicable magical powers and questionable family heritage, Kit guessed. And while Tessa and Jem did their best at explaining the "Lost Herondale Line" and why so many Fair Folk had it out for him, his sudden burst of Faerie destruction had yet to resurface. Kit figured it was one of those "I'm Only Useful When You're in Grave Danger, Loser," deals, like the kind you see in movies. The only think Kit had pretty much figured out was the fact that he could see ghosts. And he saw them often. It was almost too often for his liking.

Jem had however been extremely efficient at training Kit how to be a proper Shadowhunter, considering Kit hadn't exactly been able to train night and day at the Los Angeles Institute. After all, he had pretty much been thrown straight into disarray as soon as he had arrived.

Contrary to Jem's overly sweet and patient disposition, Kit found the man to be a grade A badass. He knew from the countless stories that Jem was once a great Shadowhunter and Silent Brother, but it still came as a surprise to Kit that someone like Jem could double as an exceptional demon slayer. Jem's patience was what helped Kit succeed so significantly, and he came to appreciate fighting against and next to Jem with every session they'd spent together.

It had been a bit challenging at first, to say the least.

Kit flat out sucked at most training exercises. The only thing he had going for him was that he was quick and light on his feet. As for the rest, he was pretty much as good as dead if it ever came down to a battle with some weird looking demon. It was lucky Jem had so much patience with him.

“You don’t _suck_ ,” Jem had said. He spoke the word ‘suck’ like foreign terminology. Kit found it somewhat amusing. “You’ve room for improvement, is all. We all had to start somewhere, and for you, it happened to be later than usual.”

“Translation,” Kit had announced, frowning. “I suck. Your nice guy act won't fool me.”

But no matter how miserably Kit failed at whatever Shadowhunter training he attempted, Jem always found a way to encourage him. And hell, Kit ate it up.

Part of Kit wished he could have trained back in LA, though. Alongside the Blackthorns, alongside Ty. But Kit knew that his thoughts had been unreasonable. Too much had stood in the way of anything like that ever happening.

With Jem's Instruction, Kit had done everything from sitting through lectures on Shadowhunter history to training with his Herondale dagger, the one Jace had given to him back in Los Angeles. It hadn't been too long before Kit was gaping at himself in the mirror at the definition in his muscles.

If Kit wasn't training with Jem, he was helping out around the house in Devon. He had first started volunteering to help out in the beginning, especially when it seemed like Tessa needed a break. It eventually became routine for Kit, and Tessa even assigned him extra. Kit was used to chores, after living with his conman of a father for fifteen years. But those chores had been more like picking locks and pockets rather than washing dishes and dusting furniture.

Kit wasn't a huge fan of the chores at times, but he still got them done without having to be asked twice. Something about a tedious task like folding laundry made him feel like he was a part of a real family for the first time in his life, not to mention how cared for Kit felt when he was around Jem and Tessa.

Kit found that living with the couple meant that life would revolve around both mundane and Shadowhunter involvement. While the small family was still primarily connected to Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike, they clearly intended to carry out their lives differently than a normal Warlock and not-so-much-Shadowhunter. That sort of thing was hard when you were Tessa and Jem, but Kit thought they did a pretty decent job at it.

The move to Devon had been extremely hard for Kit at first,  _so hard_. He could barely withstand the amount of grief and guilt in his heart. He couldn't do so much as close his eyes without seeing Tiberius Blackthorn's betrayed face after Kit spoke what would live on to be his greatest regret. No matter how hard Kit tried to remember Ty the way he saw him on the beach with the ghost of his twin sister, Livvy, down by the water, smiling that stunning smile, he was always greeted by the complete opposite. The look he'd given Kit on the night of the war. The last night they'd ever spoken to one another. One of the last things that Kit had ever said to him.

_I wish I'd never known you._

It took every ounce of strength in Kit's body to turn away and follow Jem and Tessa away from that beach and toward his brand-new life with them. Every ounce to not run out and hold Ty and dance with Livvy's ghost. He just had to keep reminding himself that he was better off. That Ty was happy. He had Livvy now, at least in some form.

The only problem was, Kit couldn't be convinced that he himself was completely happy.

Sure, Jem and Tessa were some of the kindest, gentlest people that Kit had ever met. They understood him so well, and he had never felt such a sense of familiarity and encouragement from a parental figure until he started living with them under the same roof. Both were effortlessly kind in a way that Kit didn't even think possible until he'd met them. He knew they weren't technically his parents, but they'd become closer to it than Johnny Rook had ever been.

And of course, the same went for little Willow Carstairs from the very moment Kit met her. His own baby sister. Kit had always wanted a sibling of his own. Watching the Blackthorns together made him jealous constantly, especially Ty and Livvy. He was finally able to have that renowned sibling bond through baby Willow, even if she was almost sixteen years younger.

For a moment, Kit thought that he might have been able to convince himself that the significant lack of Blackthorn in his life was more beneficial than not. He knew he had it made in Devon, but there was still always a part of Kit's mind, a part of his heart, that was reserved for the short time that he'd lived at the Los Angeles Institute. For Tiberius Blackthorn.

Kit's heart yearned for Ty every single second, and sometimes, it seemed almost against his will. Kit found the ability of his brain to remind him of Ty to be incredibly uncanny. It didn’t take much, really. The moment he saw Tessa’s eyes for the first time he was instantly reminded of the same ones that belonged to Ty. Gray, like the Pacific Ocean when the moon shone down on it.

There was also the fact that the residents of the Carstairs abode absolutely adored reading, and if that didn't scream "Tiberius Blackthorn," Kit didn't know what else did.

The study in their home was lined with shelves, and it reminded Kit a lot of the library in the Los Angeles Institute, where he and Ty spent hours together scanning the numerous books and researching mindless topics on the computer. Needless to say, the study was bittersweet to Kit. Especially when he noticed the copy of  _The Adventures of _Sherlock Holmes__  displayed on one of the shelves. Despite the guilt that had come over him when he laid eyes on the spine, Kit still picked it up without a single ounce of hesitation and read the entire book within a few days--the whole  _damn_  book.

Okay, so it wasn’t a _huge_ book in comparison to what else he’d seen Ty nose-deep into, but as soon as he'd finished the final page of the final chapter, Kit felt the closest he'd been to Ty in a long time.

That was until he was actually close to Ty some several months later, at Jace and Clary's wedding.

Kit had never seen a proper Nephilim wedding. He learned the customs with Jem, but that was about as close as he'd gotten to it. He could hardly count Alec and Magnus's, considering he wasn't exactly in proper attendance and Magnus wasn't a Shadowhunter.

The entire venue glittered like a disco ball — Clary especially, who wore a beautiful gold dress and a matching tiara in her fiery red hair. The change in colors was different for Kit, considering he'd grown up on mundane wedding tradition, but everything was exceptionally gorgeous, nonetheless. 

He had sat between Jem and Tessa without question during the ceremony. It was his best attempt at being avoided, especially because he was fully aware that the Blackthorn clan would be in full attendance, Ty included. Kit had maintained a focus on the exchange of runes and the babbling baby who swapped between three laps throughout. It wasn't until the reception part when Kit started to panic. Everyone had begun to stand up. That was when Kit saw them, when Kit saw _him._

Kit hadn't expected Ty to look so different.

It had been a little over a year since the two boys had seen each other last, so Ty had to have just been sixteen, but Kit still struggled to catch his breath at the sight of him. Ty was still astonishing to look at, that much would never change. Not to mention he looked great in a tux, and the pair of beefy headphones wrapped around his neck did awful things to Kit's heart. But Ty had beefed up, and he carried a different posture since the last time Kit had seen him.

Tessa had told Kit that Ty had decided to study at the Scholomance as soon as she had the word, and as per usual when given news about the Blackthorns, Kit played it off like he didn’t care.

Kit didn't realize that only a few months there would alter his physique so drastically. It took a significant amount of effort for Kit to pry his gaze away from him. 

 _Raziel, help me,_  Kit had thought to himself. He didn’t ask the Angel for much. He figured it was worth a shot.

"Jem!"

"Good to see you,  _mèi mei,_ " said the voice next to Kit. Jem had stood up and moved toward Emma Carstairs, who was grasping the hand of Julian Blackthorn, leaving Kit vulnerable to being spotted. He ducked away and turned toward Tessa, but she'd done the very same and followed her husband to meet the Blackthorns, carrying Willow with her. Kit cursed under his breath. Clearly, Raziel wasn't too fond of him.

"Kit!"

Kit flinched when he heard his name being called. The voice carried an English accent, which he quickly realized was Tessa. He slowly turned his head, and sure enough, Tessa was beckoning him over. So, Kit went.

There was no sign of Ty at the moment, to Kit's surprise. He wondered where the boy had wandered off to. Instead, he went to greet Julian, Drusilla, and Octavian Blackthorn, and Emma Carstairs.

"How are you?" asked Emma, who gave Kit a side-hug. 

"I'm pretty good, I guess," Kit replied, returning her gesture. Kit exchanged a friendly smile with Julian and Tavvy. He tried to do the same with Dru, but she only glared back at him. Kit was taken slightly aback by her response. What on Earth was her deal?

"We miss you," Emma continued, reaching out to ruffle Kit's hair. "With you gone, Julian and I are traveling, and Ty at the Scholomance, the Institute is like a desert. Or so everyone says."

"How is Tiberius liking the Scholomance?" It was Tessa who asked, piquing Kit's attention with the mention of Ty's name.

"He can't get enough," Julian responded, a proud smile growing on his face. "Looks like we were worried for nothing." Kit felt warmth grow inside of his chest. He was happy for Ty; glad he found a place where he could let his curiosity get the best of him, hopefully without punishment.

A quick glance to the side had a ceased Kit’s decent mood and instead overwhelmed him with unease. He felt himself go pale.

He'd found Ty, deep in conversation with Magnus Bane. But it wasn't just the sight of Ty that was killing Kit. It was the translucent hand on Ty's shoulder that belonged to a girl in a long white dress and Blackthorn-brown hair. She hovered a few feet from the ground and bore a defensive expression on her ghastly face.

Livia Blackthorn.

Or, what was supposed to be Livia Blackthorn. Sure, she did seem to love Ty, but Kit found something off about her presence when Ty had first raised her. Like she knew she was supposed to be Livvy, but she wasn't quite.

And the real Livvy would have called him Kit.

"Earth to Kit!"

Kit snapped out of his daze. It was Dru who called for him, and when he gave her a confused look, she rolled her eyes. "By the Angel," she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Jules asked how your training was going."

"Right," Kit managed, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah it's going well. Jem's a great teacher. I've learned a lot from him."

"Well, it sure does look like it's paying off!" Emma had reached out and squeezed Kit's arm. "You're beefing up Kit! Not as scrawny as you used to be!"

Kit would have retaliated, but his eyes had absentmindedly averted back to where Ty and Livvy stood. Magnus had gone back to his husband, and Kit watched as Livvy made a face that looked as if something had startled her. Kit soon realized that  _he_ was what startled her, and then she was pointing his direction, leading her twin brother’s focus right toward him.

They'd started heading toward Kit and the others.

At that moment, Kit was left with two options: Confronting Ty and his ghostly shell of his former twin, or ditching the joint.

Unsurprisingly, Kit had decided to ditch the joint, detecting several voices as he had pivoted and ran.

Jem, calling his name.

Emma, asking if he was alright.

Dru, calling him "Unbelievable," in a harsh tone.

Livvy, calling out for him. She'd called him "Herondale" again.

And worst of all, the part he'd dreaded the most. Ty's betrayed voice, uttering one word.

" _Kit?"_

Kit made his break for it and didn't look back. Tessa had given him an earful when she finally found him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kit still sometimes wondered whether or not he'd made the right choice by turning and running, leaving dust and Ty in his wake. But he had to remind himself that worrying over something that happened nearly three years prior was ridiculous. That, and he had better things to worry about.

Better things, meaning dancing around a hotel room with three-year-old Willow's squishy toddler hands in his own.

He'd been blasting a "Best of 2015" pop playlist and twirling his little sister around for hours while Tessa and Jem were out. The two took part in the same dance party every time the couple went out. It was Willow's favorite thing do to with Kit.

"Dizzy," Willow cooed as the song ended, halting their spinning. She reached her hands up at Kit and made a grabbing motion with her tiny fingers. "Up, Kitty." Normally, Kit would have used the classic "What's the Magic Word?" trick on the toddler, but Willow stuck her bottom lip out, and simultaneously melted Kit's heart.

"So now you think you can just command me to do your bidding?" Kit remarked as he lifted Willow into his arms. "You're lucky you're cute. Or else I might have to tickle you to death." He poked his little sister in the side, pulling a giggle out of her.

Not a few moments later, Tessa strode through the hotel room door. 

“Mummy!” Willow had exclaimed.

Though the Warlock no longer lived in Victorian London, Kit always thought that the way she carried herself made it seem like she'd just stepped out of a time machine. Though, it could have just been the fancy accent that she, Jem, and the rest of the people back home in Devon shared. Willow also had a slight hint of an English accent in her voice, but it wasn't as prominent.

"How are you two?" Tessa asked as she set her purse and room key on the counter. "Doing alright?"

"Fine," Kit responded, bouncing Will on his hip. "Where's Jem?"

"Still with Magnus. I left to check on you." She held her arms out to Kit and ruffled his blond hair. "I feel just awful leaving you alone all the time."

Kit frowned. "I'm nearly eighteen."

" _Nearly._ " Tessa shook her head with a small laugh. "I know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself. But I'm still allowed to worry about you." She patted Kit on the back. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't come back for myself, too. We've been with Magnus all day. He's quite a talker, that one."

It was often that either Tessa or Jem would get called out for something important, whether it be Shadowhunter or Warlock business, or just a special occasion with friends. Lately, it had a lot to do with talking to Magnus Lightwood-Bane in Los Angeles. 

Kit always tagged along, especially now that they needed someone to watch Willow, which he was happy to oblige to. 

Normally, they would stay at the Los Angeles Institute, but Jem had let it slip that something about the Institute wasn't safe at the moment. That had explained the hotel. This time, they had traveled to LA because the fabric of life and death had been tampered with, something along those lines.

At first, Kit thought that the situation seemed like a typical Friday night for his family, but as he played the words over again in his head, he realized there was something oddly familiar about them, as if he'd heard the exact words once before. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

What worried Kit more was the fact that the Institute was deemed unsafe. He wouldn’t admit it, of course, but the safety of the Blackthorns was something he cared about a lot. Probably too much.

Neither Jem nor Tessa said anything about the residents of the Los Angeles Institute, though. Kit couldn’t figure out whether or not that was a good thing. He just figured they’d make a Great Blackthorn Escape and Portal to the London Institute, like they did whenever something came to bite them in the asses.

“Need a break from this little one?” Tessa asked Kit, holding her arms out in an offering to take her toddler.

As much as Kit loved spending time with little Willow, he gave Tessa a grateful nod and handed her over. “She’ll probably need a nap soon,” he told Tessa, who kissed her child’s ink-black hair.

“She and I both,” the warlock responded.

Kit knew Tessa was exhausted. He imagined Jem must have been as well. Whatever it was they were doing, it seemed to drain a lot of energy. He figured Tessa deserved a bit of time to herself.

And since she was here with Willow, Kit hoped for a bit of alone time, too.

“You want to go out, don’t you?”

Kit blinked. Tessa had this brilliant ability to guess exactly what he was thinking. He couldn’t decide whether it was a mom thing, or an “I’ve Spent Too Many Years Surrounded by Herondales” thing. Possibly both.

“I hope that’s okay,” Kit said, “since you’re here with Willow. I won’t be gone long. Maybe.”

Tessa shook her head. “Run along, Kit. I know where you’re headed. But please, be careful. Don’t let anyone sell you anything that could be potentially life-threatening and be wary of the Institute if you get that far.”

Kit smirked. “No promises on the life-threatening purchases.” He caught Tessa rolling her eyes as he high-fived Willow and headed for the door of the hotel.

 

 

Ty took a deep breath. The urge to pull his headphones over his ears became nearly impossible to shove away.

It was loud, but Ty needed to listen. That was why he was there, after all. He wouldn’t have ever come back without a certain intent. The surroundings were all too familiar, sickening. He’d made a grave mistake ever going in the past.

The smell of incense was overpowering, and Ty could feel a headache coming on as soon as he’d stepped foot inside. He could feel each voice pounding into his head. Too many conversations at once. He had to remind himself that he was there for a reason. A good reason.

He just needed to hear one word. That was all. And he was sure he would find it there. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have kept trying.

Ty knew he shouldn’t be there. He should have been back at the Institute with the rest of his family, or even at the Scholomance, finishing up his last few months. But he also knew that everything wrong was his fault. He knew he had made a mistake right from the moment it happened.

He didn’t know how to fix it, but he knew he would need help. There wasn’t anyone better than who he had in mind for the job, even if it were a risky move.

Ty wasn’t aware of his fluttering fingers until he looked down at them. He frowned.

 _This is worth it_ , he told himself. _It has to be_.

He balled his hands into fists and pressed on, doing his best to ignore his intolerable surroundings. He would leave as soon as he found what he was looking for. Then it would all be over.

“…Rook’s son.”

“He’s here?”

Ty stopped in his tracks. He stared at the ground, his butterflies flapping quicker than he had thought possible. Rook’s son.

_Rook._

His one word.

“…grown up. Still sly as a dog.”

“Apple doesn’t fall far…”

Ty grinned at his shoes and flipped his headphones over his ears. He knew it. He knew Kit would turn up at the Los Angeles Shadow Market one way or another.

And Ty loved to know.

 

 

The hotel wasn’t too far from where Kit was headed, so he walked. Besides, he wasn’t exactly keen on driving on the right side of the road ever since he’d moved. Of course, there was Uber, but that was touchy.

Kit absentmindedly rested his hand on his silver dagger, tucked into his belt as per usual. He could see the entrance to the Los Angeles Shadow Market ahead, and the corner of his mouth quirked into a smile.

It was good to be back.

There were a few reasons why Kit decided to visit the Shadow Market. For one thing, it was basically tradition. He had come every time they took a trip to LA, even when Tessa and Jem showed disapproval.

Kit also deemed himself a celebrity at the Market, even when most of the stares that he received while passing through the booths were not friendly ones. Kit still shot finger guns at familiar faces every time he got the chance.

There were many memories that Kit was fond of that came from the Shadow Market. A few of them involving certain face that he’d failed to forget, no matter how hard he tried.

When Kit thought about it, most of best memories of the Market had to do with Ty in one way or another. Ruining Barnabas Hale’s life with the help of Dru and Ty. Searching for the oddly specific ingredients to bring Livvy back from the dead with Ty.

The latter wasn’t as pleasant, but Kit still relished in the time he was able to spend with Ty on good terms. Back then, it felt like they’d spent an eternity together. Three years apart, and it felt like they’d only spent a few days.

Kit headed for the booths without a single ounce of hesitation. The familiar smell of foreign incense and the loud chatter of Downworlders filled his senses. An overwhelming feeling of familiarity and security came over him.

Sure, the Shadow Market was not the hotspot of safety in the slightest. But Kit had spent so much of his life surrounded by the cunning Downworlders in the Market; it had become like a second home to him. Kit let himself browse around, scanning the strange and probably illegal goods that were up for sale.

He’d been stopped by a few of the friendlier faces in the Market, ones that didn’t mind his presence at all. But Kit still deciphered the distasteful murmurs of “The Return of Johnny Rook’s Nephilim Son.” In all honesty, they made him laugh.

But Kit’s glee didn’t last as long as he’d hoped. After Kit finished another brief conversation with a familiar face, he’d turned to continue his leisurely browsing. As he pivoted to face the opposing direction, he felt the blood drain from his face.

_By the Angel._

There, not fifteen feet in front of him, stood Tiberius Blackthorn. His hands were fluttering every which way.

Kit felt overwhelmingly sick. Normally, he would cover his nerves and insecurities with sarcasm, but he could hardly manage a witty comment. Not when the person he’d wronged most was standing right in front of him.

The crowd in the market was loud, but all noise had been deafened by the sound of Kit’s racing heart pounding in his ears.

Kit couldn’t figure out why Ty would ever come to the Shadow Market by himself. He knew Ty liked familiar things, like he’d ever forgotten, but they’d spent so much time at the Shadow Market together. That alone was bound to make it uncomfortable for Ty. So why? Why was he standing right in front of Kit?

Ty had to have hated him.

Kit’s gaze slowly crept upward, scanning Ty’s body. He realized quickly the Ty looked very, very different. He wasn’t the same scrawny-on-the-outside-ripped-on-the-inside boy anymore. Instead, he was bigger. Not body-builder big, still slim, but big enough that Kit could see his muscles through his thin sweater. He was taller, too, Kit thought.

Apparently, the Scholomance turned beautiful people even better looking, if at all possible. Kit gulped. He was so screwed.

Ty’s hands were moving a mile a minute, mimicking Kit’s pulse in almost perfect sync. His chest was heaving. His headphones were clamped tightly over his ears. His eyes were darting every which way. Kit realized at that moment that it was not just him who was incredibly nervous.

Of course, Kit hadn’t expected Ty to meet his gaze. He hardly ever had in the past, even when they were laughing with each other and solving mysteries as friends. When Kit stared right at Ty’s stormy eyes, even as the other boy failed to make eye contact, Kit could read the anguish in them. Something inside Kit broke, perhaps his heart.

Without a second thought, Kit booked it passed Ty. Their shoulders barely grazed each other, but Kit still felt the pulse of electricity shoot up his arm, startling him into a faster sprint.

He heard Ty calling his name behind him, but he kept running. He stepped out into the sunlight and ran in the opposite direction of the hotel. Toward the Beach.

Toward the Institute.

 

 

Ty barely had time to react before Kit Herondale raced passed him. He turned just time to see the blond Shadowhunter leave the Shadow Market.

There was something about seeing the back of Kit’s head that made Ty exceptionally happy, despite their unfortunate circumstances that had been left unresolved for far too long.

His hair was still the same blond mess of curls, and Ty wondered when he last had a haircut. He also noticed that Kit carried himself more like a Shadowhunter. He was bigger, Ty thought. And he liked it.

He was ready to greet his lost friend with a smile and a bargain for help, but Kit left too quickly to hear him out.

Or to say anything in general.

Ty inhaled. This situation was all too familiar. He was instantly reminded of what happened back at Jace and Clary’s wedding, the last time the two of them had seen each other. Kit looked pained when he saw Ty both times, and it was a low blow to Ty’s heart. The only other time Kit had looked at him like that was three years back on the shore of Lake Lyn. Kit had run, and Ty had watched him go.

There were a few things different between the two situations, Ty noticed.

For one thing, Ty’s entire family and then some weren’t there to witness Kit fleeing for the second time. And instead of being at a wedding ceremony, they were located in the musty booths of the Shadow Market.

But the biggest difference out of all, Ty wasn’t going to let Kit run from him again.

Ty rolled up his sleeve and pulled his stele from his back pocket. He drew a Speed rune with a shaky hand as quickly as possible, eager to chase down his old friend.

As soon as the rune was finished, Ty sprinted at full speed out of the Shadow Market, nearly bulldozing over several Downworlders who cursed in his direction.

 _Here I come, Watson._ Ty caught sight of Kit running along the beach. He wondered why Kit hadn’t thought the Mark himself. It would have made running a lot easier. Regardless, Ty pressed on. He’d catch Kit when his legs gave out.

_I won’t let you go again._

 

Kit never looked back to see if Ty had followed him out. He just kept running, dodging traffic as he went.

Old words in his head resurfaced and struck him in the heart.

_He doesn’t need you._

Kit squeezed his hands into fists. This was hardly the time for his mind to turn against him. He choked on what he thought was probably a dry sob.

_He doesn’t care about you. He never did._

Kit’s head replayed the scene back to him that took place on the shore. It made sure to highlight the very moment where Kit’s newly built up world came crumbling down around him. The source of his only proper feeling of love practically spitting all of his efforts back in his pitiful face.

_There’s nothing if Livvy isn’t there._

Kit gasped, physically pained by the thought. He grasped his chest, as if he’d taken a knife to the heart. He remembered how awful he felt while heading back to camp so vividly that the intensity of the memory nearly called for his collapse.

He didn’t blame Ty. He blamed himself for being so ridiculously stupid. He didn’t know what made him think that he could come between Ty and Livvy, even if one half were no longer alive. Not really, anyway.

_I can’t live without Livvy._

Kit’s lungs were screaming at him. Kit yelled back, letting out a cry as his feet pounded against the sandy floor.

_Yes, you can._

_We will go through it together._

_I love you, Ty. I love you._

Kit was crying back then, and if it weren’t for his intent focus on getting the hell away from the Market and Ty, he would have been crying again.

_There’s nothing if you aren’t here._

Kit tripped over his feet, rolling his ankle. He bit his lip to avoid crying out again and kept going. But his mind kept on beating him over the head with the same scene, causing him to feel the same hurt and agony he’d felt that night on top of the burning in his chest and the cramps in his legs.

_I wish I’d never known you._

“ _I’m sorry_!” Kit cried into the open air. He didn’t know whether he was apologizing to Ty, or to his antagonist mind in order to quiet it from resurfacing so many of the reasons why Kit wished he could do everything all over again. Each memory hit him like a physical blow, making it increasingly difficult to continue running.

Kit could feel the bile rising in his throat.

He made it out pretty far before he completely gave up. His knees buckled and gave out, and he doubled over into the sand. It took all of his strength not to cough up bile.

Kit flinched when he heard footsteps come up from behind him. He buried his face in his hands as he panted.

 _Not here,_ he thought. _Please, not here._

“Kit.”

Tiberius Blackthorn’s voice was like a beautiful, intense song. The very utter of his own name shook Kit to the core. And for a moment, Kit forgot the reason why he was running. This was Ty. _His_ Ty.

So Kit stood, because he didn’t know what else to do. The very presence of Ty had his body under a spell, just like it had always done in the past. He took a deep breath and turned.

And they were fifteen once more. Kit was blown away all over again.

Ty was beautiful.

After all this time, he could never cease from dreaming about Tiberius Blackthorn, the boy who sat outside of his room every day until he finally came out. The boy who wanted to go on adventures with him. The boy who asked him to be the Watson to his Sherlock. The boy who drew his first rune. The boy who’s heart he watched break through his mesmerizing gray eyes. The boy whose heart _he_ broke.

The boy who didn’t love him back.

Kit remembered why he ran. He didn’t want to face his greatest regret. Yet there he was. Against his will. It did often happen that way.

Neither party spoke for a while. They just stood there in front of one another, both breathing heavily. Kit noticed Ty’s hands, which were twirling around the cord of his headphones. A pang of guilt struck Kit in the chest again. As far as he knew, Ty had never been nervous to confront him before. Kit really couldn’t blame him, but it still stung.

“I’m sorry.” They’d said it at the same time.

Kit blinked. Why Ty was sorry, Kit couldn’t understand. Confused, he looked up at Ty.

“Wha—”

Kit stopped dead. His mouth dropped open.

Tiberius Blackthorn was looking him right in the eye. And Kit was crying before he was conscious of it.

Ty’s arms came around him as soon as the first tear hit his cheek. All of the wind was knocked from Kit’s lungs as the two of them collided. Ty’s arms threaded around Kit’s neck, and his own went around Ty’s middle. He tried to speak, but it came out as a short, shallow gasp.

“I understand,” Ty said quietly, his breath hot on Kit’s ear. “I understand why you did it. Why you did everything. I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out. When Magnus told me that you went to live with Tessa and Jem without saying goodbye, I wanted to hate you leaving me behind.”

Kit buried his face into Ty’s shoulder. Just the mention of Ty being angry cause him to swell with rage inside, even if it were at himself.

Ty went on. “I couldn’t be mad once I realized why.” One of Ty’s hands tangled into Kit’s blond curls. Kit shivered, losing his breath all over again. “You were right. I shouldn’t have raised Livvy. I should have listened to you. I was wrong to say you didn’t care. I think, I think you cared most of anyone.”

Kit heard Ty sniffle and felt a hot tear roll down his neck. Kit couldn’t help but laugh through his sobs. They must have looked terribly pathetic.

Two eighteen-year-old boys, hugging and crying on a beach.

“And for that, Kit Herondale, I am so, so sorry.”

Kit didn’t know what to say. All he knew is that he didn’t want to let go. All those years of avoiding contact with Ty; it turned out that he’d been longing for this very thing. He had forgotten how amazing it felt to be in Ty’s arms, how Ty held on with everything he had.

“Ty, I’m sorry,” Kit began, lifting his head from Ty’s shoulder. “I didn’t say goodbye. I just left. It was selfish.”

Ty’s grip tightened, if that were even possible at this point. The two were flush against each other, yet Kit still yearned to be closer to him. “Don’t apologize.” His voice was soothing. Kit felt like melting. “I’m glad you didn’t say goodbye. Goodbye means it’s over, and I knew the both of us were never truly over.”

Ty’s words caused Kit to nearly fall over. He gripped Ty’s sweater, realizing that he would have toppled back into the sand if it weren’t for how tightly the two were holding onto each other.

“I missed you, Ty,” Kit whispered. “I missed spying on the Centurions and sitting on the roof and talking. I missed being your Watson. I read a Sherlock Holmes book. _Me!”_

Ty laughed. “I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum routine of daily life.”

Kit drew back from Ty and smiled at him. “I understood that.”

Ty smiled back at him, and Kit remembered. He remembered why his heart was with the Blackthorns for so long. Ty’s smile ignited the same fire that he felt back when he was fifteen, back when Ty’s dazzling smile threw him off balance for the first time.

Kit loved living with Jem and Tessa and Willow. His family for three years, who taught him who he really was. But Ty taught him more about himself than he had realized. He taught him that he could be a Shadowhunter, that he could have friends. That he could love someone the way he loved Ty.

Friends, like Livvy, and Dru, and the rest of the Shadowhunters who watched over him in the Institute. Kit decided all over again, the same thing he’d decided three years ago.

_Where the Blackthorns were, was his home._

And he loved Tiberius Blackthorn more than he could account for.

Nothing in its right mind could come between that.

 

 

Both Kit and Ty stayed on the beach, catching each other up on what they’d missed in the past three years of distance. They walked along the wet shore, letting the small waves kiss their ankles and wet the hem of their pants.

Ty spent most of the time telling Kit all about the Scholomance, and Kit enjoyed every single word of it. He was ecstatic that Ty enjoyed studying there. He remembered Ty’s family being worried that he’d be treated poorly there, but it seemed that Ty loved it more than practically anything.

The sun was setting. It was dark over the water, save the beams of the light that came from the moon, changing the color of the ocean to match the shade of Ty’s magnificent eyes.

Kit had noticed the lack of a ghostly Blackthorn hanging around Ty. And since Ty seemed to dodge Livvy every time something about his family came up, Kit thought something must have been up.

He didn’t try to pry it out of Ty. He knew better than to do that. Besides, Livvy was bound to be an awkward topic at this point. Instead, he went for what he hoped would be an easier question to ask.

“What were you doing at the Shadow Market?” Kit asked, kicking a shell up from the shallow water. Ty didn’t answer him, and when Kit looked over, he could sense Ty’s hesitation. He was fiddling with the wire of his headphones again. Kit put his hand on Ty’s shoulder and rubbed the base of it with his thumb.

“I knew Jem and Tessa were coming,” he explained finally, as if the reaction to Kit’s touch with his words. “I thought you might be there, so I went every day since the day you arrived in town.”

Kit felt warmth bloom in his chest. If it were anyone but Ty, his action might have considered strange. But Kit knew Ty, the same boy who had fallen asleep in front of his bedroom door at the Institute until he’d mustered up enough strength to get a grip. Kit gave Ty’s shoulder a firm squeeze.

“I’m touched,” Kit replied, chuckling under his breath. “Is something wrong?”

Ty nodded, and sure enough, there was an underlying meaning after all.

“With Livvy. Her ghost, it’s—” He paused, shaking his head. “I need your help, Kit. You were there when I did it. Do you remember what Livvy said? ‘You can’t borrow from death. Only pay for it.’” Ty balled his hands into fists, then faced Kit.

He grabbed ahold of Kit’s hands and looked up, two gray ocean eyes staring straight back into Kit’s. Eye contact. Kit shuddered.

“I messed up, Kit. And you’re the only one who knows about it. Will you help me?”

Kit had known for years that he’d never be able to say no.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Around,” she replied simply, still watching Kit with her sea glass eyes. “Now, don’t look so shocked, Herondale. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Livvy winked at Kit. He was baffled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extremely minor changes made to the first chapter!! Just thought I'd put that out there :)  
> Enjoy!  
> P.S. thanks a billion bunches to my fellow kitty enthusiast @cheeky_nandos for proofreading/laughing at my mistakes. i wuv youuu

The first thing Kit did was call Tessa.

It felt wrong not to. After all, she’d specifically told him not to go near the Los Angeles Institute, and that was exactly where he was headed.

He wondered what made it so dangerous. Ty mentioned that his family were all there instead of in London, where Kit thought they might have been. Kit couldn’t understand why his family was staying in a rundown hotel instead of the comfort of the Institute.

Kit held his phone to his ear, waiting for an answer on the other end. An answer never came. He ended the call and pocketed his phone with a sigh.

“I’ll just text her when we get there,” he decided, continuing to walk along the beach with Ty. “She’s probably taking a nap. All that talk with Magnus has drained her.”

Ty looked uncomfortable. “Tessa and Jem don’t want you to come, do they?”

“Well, no.” Kit grinned at him. “But when has that ever stopped me?”

Ty smiled, and Kit felt a sudden warmth flood through him, beginning in his chest. Ty’s smile never ceased to amaze him.

“Not much does,” answered a feminine voice. Kit glanced upward, eyes wide. Next to Ty floated Livvy, who had a knowing look on her ghastly face. She still wore the same white dress and still appeared fifteen. Kit’s mouth dropped open.

“Hey Livs,” said Ty, who smiled up at his floating twin. Livvy’s hand passed through Ty’s hair in an attempt to ruffle it. “Where have you been?”

“Around,” she replied simply, still watching Kit with her sea glass eyes. “Now, don’t look so shocked, Herondale. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Livvy winked at Kit. He was baffled.

“I don’t—huh?” Kit cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t I supposed to have a sixth sense or something? Shouldn’t I always see you?”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t hang back while you two catch up, does it?” Livvy floated over to Kit. “It’s good to see you again, Kit Herondale. You prefer to be called Kit, right?

“Yeah,” Kit replied hastily, nodding. “Good to see you, too, Livvy.”

Kit couldn’t get over how weird it was that Ty always had a ghost hanging around him. It was even weirder that he would always see her unless she chose to move out of his range of sight. He supposed he would have to get used to it. As long as Ty was happy, he was fine.

As they approached the door of the Institute, Kit paused. “So, it’s not dangerous?”

“It is,” Ty replied. “I can’t tell, but Livvy can. And you should be able to tell, too. It might take a while, though.” Kit tilted his head in confusion, but he didn’t bother to ask what Ty meant. He was almost too afraid to ask.

“I guess I’ll have to wait to find out, then,” he decided as the three of them headed into the Institute.

Kit inhaled the scent of the Institute. A rush of familiarity nearly knocked him off of his feet. He couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. A hand landed on his shoulder and Ty appeared next to him.

“Welcome home, Watson,” said Ty, and Kit felt his eyes begin to water.

“It’s good to be back,” he said, turning to look at Livvy. She gave him a concerned look, and Kit wasn’t sure what to make of it. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of quick footsteps.

“Who’s here?” Appearing at the top of the stairs was Octavian Blackthorn, who was overjoyed to see Kit standing in front of the door. He turned around and yelled, “Kit’s here!” before rushing down to greet them.

“Look at you!” Kit exclaimed, ruffling Tavvy’s brown hair as the ten-year-old boy gave him a hug. “You’ve gotten so big, dude!”

“That’s because I started training. I’m really good!” Tavvy peered behind Kit, looking a little bummed. “Where’s Willow?”

“She’s with Tessa right now, but I’m sure she’d love to see you.” Tavvy may have been much older than Kit’s little sister, but it was obvious he took pride in being older than her. It wasn’t often that the youngest Blackthorn got to hold a baby.

“Oh, _come on._ ” Another voice emerged from the top of the steps. Kit looked up. Not only was Emma standing there, but so were Julian and Dru. “That can’t be Kit Herondale.”

Kit grinned. “In the flesh.”

Emma went down and gave Kit a hug, followed by a pat on the shoulder from Julian. They exchanged a glance after touching Kit. Then Emma said, “you grew!”

Kit looked down at himself. “I guess? Been training pretty hard, lately.”

Julian squeezed Kit’s shoulder. “Pays off, doesn’t it?” Kit nodded in return.

“Where is everyone else?”

“In the kitchen,” replied Julian. “Helen took over dinner duty for the night. I’ll let her know we’re going to need an extra plate.” Emma gave Kit’s blond hair a ruffle and the two of them headed for the kitchen.

Then, Kit was approached by Dru. Her eyes darted between Kit and Ty. “Kit.” She nodded at him in greeting.

“Drusilla,” he responded.

“Did you make up with my brother?”

Kit and Ty exchanged looks. It was Kit who spoke. “Yeah, something like that.” Dru looked at Ty for further approval, as if Kit’s answer wasn’t enough for her to believe it.

“We did,” Ty confirmed.

“Oh, thank the Angel,” Dru huffed, before wrapping her arms around Kit. “I was worried I was going to have to stay mad at you forever. It’s really hard to stay mad at you, you know?”

“I agree,” Ty pointed out. Kit felt his face flush.

“C’mon and see everyone else,” Dru said, “they’ll want to see you.”

“You go on, I’ll catch up. I’ve got to let Tessa know I’m here.” Dru nodded and headed for the kitchen. Ty lingered for a moment, but followed Dru as well.

“I’ll save you a seat,” he called over his shoulder. Kit nodded at him in thanks.

Kit pulled his phone from his pocket, revealing a notification that read _2 Missed Calls_. Both from Tessa. Kit clicked on his messenger app and sent her a quick text.

_Ran into Ty at the Shadow Market._

The message was read within a couple of seconds. Before long, his phone was buzzing, Tessa’s name appearing on the screen. Kit took a deep breath and braced himself for the oncoming storm.

“Hello?”

“You’re at the Institute, aren’t you?” Kit couldn’t tell whether Tessa was angry at him or worried about him. He guessed it was a mixture of both.

“About that..”

“Don’t get smart with me, Christopher,” Tessa snapped. Right, so she was angry. She rarely ever called him Christopher, unless she was mad with him. “Are you at the Institute or not?”

He sighed. “Yeah. I’m at the Institute.”

Kit heard Tessa exhale. “There’s a specific reason I didn’t want you going there. Magnus said you—”

“Ty needs my help,” Kit blurted. “Something’s going on and Ty said he needed me, Tessa.” He heard Tessa sigh. “I couldn’t say no,” he added a bit quieter.

“Listen to me, Kit.” Tessa sounded very serious. “Jem just got back, so we’re going to head over. If anything happens before we get there, please call me.”

“We’re going where?” Kit heard Jem ask in the background.

“The Institute,” Tessa replied, before turning back to the speaker. “See you soon, Kit.”

“Right,” Kit said, and Tessa hung up. He didn’t know what was going on, but it must have been terribly serious, otherwise all this fuss would have been for nothing.

But the Blackthorns didn’t seem too worried. Not even Ty. When Kit entered the kitchen, everyone stopped what they were doing and greeted him once again. Emma, Julian, and Dru, and the others that he hadn’t seen yet: Helen, Aline, Mark, and Cristina.

And of course, Ty, who had indeed saved Kit a seat right next to him. Kit took it gratefully, feeling a little awkward, nevertheless. There was no way this much attention was good for his ego.

“How are you, Kit? How’s Devon?” It was Helen who asked. “Is trouble bringing you back again?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Kit replied, taking a sip of his water. “Devon’s cold and very gray. I missed the California sunshine. I definitely lost my surfer tan.” Chuckles echoed around the table. “And yeah, Tessa and Jem are investigating the latest issue with Magnus, so I’ve been watching Willow.” Kit smiled with pride after mentioning his baby sister’s name. “Anyway, what about you? Any kids in your future?”

Helen placed her hand over Aline’s. “We hope so. Time can only tell.”

Kit smiled. He glanced across the table to wear Emma and Julian were sitting. Emma waved at him, clearly flaunting a silver band around her finger. Kit couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed before.

“Finally tying the knot, huh?” Kit asked, wiggling his eyebrows. “It’s about time.”

Emma laughed. “That’s what I said.”

“Well, congrats, you guys. I’m happy for you.” Kit smiled down at his plate and took a bite of his potatoes. Helen was just as good a cook as Julian, it seemed.

Ty reached over and stole a potato from Kit’s plate. Kit smiled at him and Ty smiled back. It took a few seconds before Kit realized the two of them were getting stares from around the table. Even Livvy, who had floated in from the back door, was watching them. Though she was giggling.

Kit cleared his throat. “I forgot to mention that Tessa and Jem are on their way over. I hope that’s okay.

“Are they bringing Willow?” Tavvy piped up.

“Should I have made extra?” Helen asked at the same time.

Kit laughed. “I’m sure they’ll be fine, Helen.” He looked at Tavvy and added, “I’m sure they’re bringing Willow.”

Tavvy grinned and took a mouthful of potatoes. Kit loved when Tavvy and Willow played. His baby sister was always ecstatic that she had a friend at the Los Angeles Institute. She loved to brag about how she played with her older friend.

It wasn’t long before a knock was heard on the door of the Institute, and a three-year-old girl with black pigtails came running in.

“Kitty!” yelled Willow, who wobbled right over to Kit. Tessa and Jem followed close behind her. Kit scooted out from under the table and lifted his sister into his lap.

“Hey, baby girl,” Kit said, giving her forehead a kiss. From across the table, Dru gushed. “How was your nap? Did you have fun with mom?” Willow nodded. “Hey, look. There’s your bud, Tavvy.” Kit pointed in the youngest Blackthorn’s direction, and he waved at Willow.

“Tavvy!” She turned to where Tessa and Jem were standing and greeting Emma. “Mummy, may I go play with Tavvy?”

Tessa nodded at her toddler. “If Tavvy is excused, then sure you can.”

Julian nodded at Tavvy and Kit let Willow down. The two of them ran out of the room, Willow squealing with joy.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Tessa announced, “but could Jem and I steal Kit for just a moment? We’ve something important to discuss.” Kit gulped. He had a pretty good feeling that he was in trouble.

Ty gave Kit a worried look. Kit returned it with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry,” he whispered to Ty before standing up. “I’ll only be a bit.”

Kit stood and followed Tessa and Jem out of the kitchen and turned a corner next to the stairs. He didn’t know what to expect to come from the conversation. He mostly expected to get an earful for disobeying Tessa and Jem’s direct request to stay away from the Institute.

Tessa let out a breath. “Kit—”

“I know you didn’t want me to come,” Kit interrupted. “But something is going on here. Ty said he needed my help.”

“We know he needs your help,” said Jem, his voice calm, hushed. “But there’s something you should know before you go into this.”

Kit looked between the both of them expectantly. “And that is?”

“The Los Angeles Institute is dealing with ghosts,” said Tessa.

“Okay? I’ve dealt with ghosts before. I see them all the time.” Kit shrugged. “Did I ever tell you that I saw one on the day Willow was born?” Tessa and Jem stared at him. “I didn’t realize Will was a ghost. I never saw him before then.”

“He wasn’t.” Tessa’s voice was cold, and Jem had his hand on her back. “Are you sure it was him?”

“Black hair, blue eyes? Pretty sure. Is that bad?”

“Kit, the ghosts around aren’t supposed to be ghosts,” said Jem, because Tessa could no longer speak. “They were ripped from eternal rest. They’re—they’re in pain.”

Kit gaped. Of course. Of course, Ty needed Kit’s help. Kit could see ghosts. And Kit was there when Ty ripped open the fabric of life and death.

“It will be painful for you to see, to hear. Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Jem asked slowly. “I know it may seem like a dumb question now, but I’m serious.”

Kit didn’t even think about it. He knew he had to help. There was no mistaking that Ty was desperate for his assistance, and he was the only one who could do it anyway.

He wasn’t about to let Ty down again.

“I want to,” Kit answered confidently. “I’ll deal with it.”

Jem nodded and pulled him forward into a hug. “You’ve trained for something huge like this. Put it good use, alright?” When Kit nodded, Jem hugged him tighter.

When he let go, Kit looked at Tessa. Her eyes were rimmed red, and she smiled sadly at him. “Good luck, Kit. We love you so much.” Kit went in for the embrace this time, hugging Tessa tightly. She bent slightly to kiss his blond hair.

Kit stepped back. “I’m going to find Ty. Are you staying here?”

“We’re going to check with Helen and Aline to see if that’s alright,” replied Jem. His hand was still on Tessa’s back.

Kit nodded. “I’ll see you, then.”

As he turned and headed back for the kitchen, he could hear the two of them mumbling about Will behind him. Kit’s heart clenched.

He poked his head into the kitchen, but Ty was no longer there. Helen, Aline, and Julian were helping to clean up from dinner, and Tavvy was chasing Willow around the room. Kit caught a glimpse of Livvy, who was watching her siblings. She noticed Kit immediately.

“Ty’s on the roof,” she told him, unbothered by the volume of her voice. Not that she needed to be. No one could hear her but Kit. He nodded in thanks to her and headed to find Ty.

As Kit made his way up the stairs, he thought about what Jem and Tessa told him. Whatever he would see and hear would be painful for him. Kit didn’t know what to expect, but he didn’t care. As long as he was able to help Ty. As long as the Los Angeles Institute was safe. He would do whatever it took.

His safety was the least of his worries now. He was the only one that could help.

Kit reached the roof within a moments time. He quickly found Ty sitting near the edge, staring out at the dark ocean. Kit noticed a breeze whip through Ty’s dark waves. In the pale moon, Ty looked more ethereal than ever.

“Hey,” Kit said hoarsely. Ty turned his head at Kit’s voice. Kit nearly doubled over at the sight in front of him.

_Beautiful._

“Are you staying?” Ty asked.

“Of course, yes.” Kit moved to sit next to Ty. There was a slight chill in the air, but it was warmer than Kit was used to. He breathed in the crisp night air.

The two of them sat in silence for a while. They just stared at water, or rather, Ty stared at the water. Kit just stared at Ty, mostly because it was one of his favorite pastimes. There was something calming about Ty’s presence, as if tranquility radiated off of him in waves.

Maybe it was the way he breathed in time with the wind. Or the way he closed his eyes and tilted his head tilted upward toward the moonlight. Either way, Kit was completely entranced.

Finally, after a few minutes of blissful silence, Ty opened his eyes. “What did they say?” he asked, still staring up at the moon.

Kit watched as Ty’s eyes began to shine, the moon’s reflection creating clones of itself. “They told me what’s going on. About the ghosts.”

Ty sighed a sad sigh. “Livvy says they’re in agony. It hurts her so much.” He turned to Kit. “It will hurt you, too. Did they tell you that?”

“They did,” Kit replied with a nod. “It’s alright, though. I’ll do whatever I can to help you out.” Ty smiled, and Kit felt a shiver rush down his spine. He would never understand how someone could be so ravishing.

“Do you know why they’re in pain?”

Ty shook his head. “No. We’re still trying to figure that part out.”

Kit frowned. He knew Ty hated not knowing things. He reached out to rest his hand on Ty’s shoulder, but was interrupted by a harsh wail.

Kit shot up immediately. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

The wailing continued. It grew louder and louder, pounding in Kit’s ears. He looked down off of the roof, and sure enough, dozens of translucent figures roamed the grounds of the Institute. The wailing began to grow unbearable. Kit scooted back and clutched his ears, crying out in pain.

The ghosts weren’t any where near him, but he was still somehow able to hear them as if they were screaming in his ears. His brain rattled and black spots dotted his vision. The screams were enough to inflict pain on anyone who heard them. It wasn’t just a sad sound. It was physically painful. Dizzyingly so.

Kit cursed out loud and tucked his head between his knees. The sound was so deafeningly loud. He understood why Livvy was so pained by the noise. “Stop!” He gritted his teeth. “Make it stop!”

Hands came over Kit’s. Ty quickly lifted Kit’s hands from his ears and replaced them with a pair of beefy headphones. He then placed his long fingers on Kit’s shoulders, and Kit let out an involuntary gasp.

“Is that better?”

Kit leaned into Ty’s touch like his life depended on it. He nodded quickly. Ty squeezed his shoulders. Kit could feel that Ty’s hands were shaking.

“The sound is really bad. It makes Livvy so upset.” Ty scooted closer to Kit, enveloping him between his long arms. “Is it worse than you thought?”

“I didn’t really think.” Kit’s voice was shaking. He tried to cancel out the wails of the dead and focus on Ty’s calming voice.

“Good. Don’t think about it.”

Kit shut his eyes. Ty’s headphones were helping, but the muffled sound wasn’t enough to completely drown out the horrible sound. He could still hear the cries of agony loud and clear, never ceasing to quit banging in his ears. He shook his head frantically.

“I can’t,” he sputtered, “I can’t Ty, it’s too much. I can’t—”

“It’s okay. Let’s go inside. I’ll help you.”

The two of them rose from the roof and headed back inside. Kit’s knees were wobbly, but Ty held him up until they reached Kit’s old room. The guest room.

Experimentally, Kit lifted the headphones off of his ears. As he quickly learned, he could still hear the moans of the damned inside the walls of the Institute. It wasn’t as loud as it was from the outside, but it was still enough to be disturbing. Kit let the headphones fall back over his ears quickly.

They sat on the bed together. Kit could feel Ty’s eyes on him. He was panting heavily.

“They come at night,” Ty explained finally. “We don’t know why they do that, either. Livvy says she can still hear them inside. I guess you can, too.” Kit didn’t respond. He only nodded. “You can keep my headphones at night. You need them more than I do.”

“Ty—”

“Kit? Willow wants you to come say goodnight.” Dru appeared in the doorway. Her expression shifted from normal to confused in a matter of seconds. “What happened? Why are you wearing Ty’s headphones?”

Kit and Ty exchanged looks. Kit didn’t know for certain, but he was pretty sure Dru didn’t know about Livvy.

“It’s a long story,” Kit decided, earning an Academy-award-winning eyeroll from Dru.

“I won’t bother asking, then. But don’t consider me unsuspicious.” She crossed her arms. “Anyway, Willow wants you to come say goodnight. She’s staying with Jem and Tessa.”

“I’ll be there in a few.” Kit replied, and Dru closed the door behind her. Kit turned to Ty, his fingers twirling around the white wire of the headphones. “Are you sure you don’t want these? I’ll probably manage.”

“Keep them.” Ty stood and opened the door back up. “I’m going to go find Livvy. We’ll talk more tomorrow, okay?”

Kit smiled. “Sounds like we’re going to need to get the team back together, huh?”

Ty returned Kit’s smile with his own. “We already have.”

 

 

 

Ty found Livvy crouched by his bed. Her hands were cupped around her ears and she was murmuring indecipherable phrases. She was sitting in the same position that Kit was in when he had heard the noises.

Ty couldn’t even begin to fathom what the two of them were hearing. In some ways, he was happy that he didn’t have to experience the agonizing wails of the ghosts. But in others, he wished he could understand the pain that Kit and Livvy felt.

He was at least glad that he’d given Kit some sort of help to fight off the noise. All he could do for Livvy was be there. He couldn’t even touch her.

It was something he’d grown used to, but he still yearned to embrace his twin sister, to hold her hand once again. But having her around, at least in some form, was good enough for him. It was just a bit difficult sometimes.

Ty crouched down beside Livvy. Instead of putting his hand on her shoulder, which he nearly did by instinct, he rested it on his knees.

“Livvy,” he said softly, startling his ghastly twin out of her fog of pain. She looked at Ty, two silver tear lines streaked her pale face. Ty began to worry. Livvy only cried when the wails got really bad.

“They’re getting worse,” Livvy said, her voice as cold as stone. “They’re so sad. They don’t want to be here. They want to go home. They _need_ to go home.”

“We’re going to get them home, I promise.” Ty’s hand passed through Livvy’s. Just because he couldn’t hold her hand didn’t mean he didn’t try. “We have Kit now, and he’s going to keep us safe. We’re going to keep him safe.”

Livvy smiled sadly at Ty, and Ty reached out as if to wipe the tear stains off of her face. “Okay,” she said. “We’ll keep him safe.”

“Go find some place where the noise isn’t as bad, okay? I’ll be fine here.”

And so Livvy did just that, phasing through the wall of Ty’s bedroom, leaving him alone in the dark.

Ty looked out his bedroom window, down at the beach below. If he were Kit or Livvy, he would have seen dozens, maybe hundreds of ghosts crowding the sandy floor, crying out in pain because they wanted to go home.

He turned to his bed, and very quickly decided that he was too awake to sleep. There was too much adrenaline pumping in his veins. Normally, he’d been able to cool off with some classical music, but he lent his headphones to Kit, who would have been worse off without them. Instead, Ty moved to the next best thing, which resided on his side table.

_The Return of Sherlock Holmes._

A burst of joy erupted in Ty’s chest as he picked up the book. He had reread it exactly twelve times and was working on thirteen. He thought then would be the perfect time to do just that.

After all, Sherlock made him think of Watson and Watson made him think of Kit, who was just down the hall for the first time in nearly three years. The thought of Kit made him smile from ear to ear. He was finally here.

Even if it were just because he was being roped into another Blackthorn family problem.

Ty remembered that he still had so much to tell Kit. And since he didn’t know how much time they would have to catch up completely before complete disaster struck, Ty didn’t know what better time than right then and there to check up on him.

So, Ty strode across the halls of the Institute and arrived in front of Kit’s door. He knocked, but there was no answer.

Ty didn’t want to intrude, but he also did want to make sure Kit was alright. He opened the door as quietly as possible, making sure it didn’t creak at the hinged as it swung open.

There was Kit, sleeping peacefully with Ty’s headphones cuffed over his ears. Both of his hands were clasped around the white cord. Ty smiled and shut the door behind him softly before sitting down in a chair across from the bed and opening his book in his lap. He stole a quick glance at Kit’s sleeping form before starting from where he’d left off.

_My dear Watson,_ read the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the second chapter! I recently was lying awake at an ungodly hour and thinking about my TWP crack theory and decided to expand on it! Idk fam squad but I'm actually kinda proud of how this is coming together. Ty's POVs are short and I apologize for it, I'm still trying to get the feel for writing his character correctly.  
> Thank you so much for all of the sweet feedback, y'all are the best <3  
> Anyway, let me know what y'all think! :)

**Author's Note:**

> After rewriting this four times, I finally grew the balls to post it! I hope I was able to help cure any QOAAD sadness that may still be lingering. I tried to add my own little theory in there, how something might go wrong with Livvy's ghost (which I'm like, 90% will happen in TWP at some point). Thank you so very much for reading! Let me know what you think! :)
> 
> P.S. I decided to add on to this fic! I’ll try to manage a posting schedule sometime soon!


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